Gilded Heart
by laheying
Summary: teddy lupin's life was like lowercase writing: all simple, with no serious ups and downs. it's when lily luna potter comes around that he begins to realise the mistakes of writing with chalk: everything can be erased.
1. the beginning of the beginning

the beginning of the beginning

Ted Lupin was ten when his Grandma came dashing into the lounge, yelping about Auntie Ginny going into labour. Uncle Harry and Aunt Ginny had been expecting another child and the wait had been tedious. Ted had already been present when James and Albus were born, however he hadn't been allowed to hold either of them, as Grandma had used the excuse that he was 'too young to support them properly'.

Grandma gave Ted the same instructions as always after he had put his coat on: throw some floo powder into the fire and call out St. Mungo's. Grandma would catch him up, as per usual.

He obeyed instructions, for Grandma could be formidable when she needed to. The two previous trips to St. Mungo's Maternity Ward hadn't gone particularly perfectly. Ted still hadn't got the hang of flooing. He was a five minute walk away from Uncle Harry and his 'cousins', so he hadn't had much experience with the method of travel. He knew that Uncle Harry wasn't actually his uncle and didn't take advantage of the fact. Despite having dinner with the Potters more often than he had dinner with his Grandma, Ted still didn't feel like part of the family.

He landed out at St. Mungo's, this time on two feet. Uncle Harry hugged him hello and they waited for Grandma together in the long, sterile hallway. The walls were a gone-off cream colour, the ceiling was comprised of a series of white tiles while the floor was white too, it was mottled with light and dark grey splashes to add texture.

"How's Auntie Ginny, Unc?" Ted asked. A scream ripped through the conversation before Harry could answer.

"She's doing alright. Better than Albus." Harry said after anxiously shooting a glance back into the room he had come from. The fireplace popped as Grandma stepped out. "Hi Andromeda. Do you mind keeping an eye on the boys until Molly gets here?"

"Of course dear, no problem. Ted, go and sit with James and Albus. I'll make sure they don't go anywhere they're not supposed to, Harry. Go on, go!"

Harry pointed Andromeda in the right direction and profusely thanked her before ducking back into the hospital room.

Ted had always found James to be a little annoying. Whenever he and Grandma visited, he constantly tugged at Ted to get him to play with him. More often than not, Ted busied himself with James and Fred and Louis to keep himself preoccupied and away from Victoire.

The previous year, Ted had decided that if his life was made up of stars and each star had a direct importance to brightness ratio, then Victoire was the brightest star in the night sky. He had never told her this because she intimidated him more than he cared to admit, despite the fact that he was a year older than her.

"Ted, Ted, can we play it?" James asked as he tugged on the sleeve of Ted's grey sweater.

"You most certainly will not, James Sirius. Behave yourself, you're going to be getting another sibling soon." Grandma Andromeda said after her grandson shot her an uncomfortable look.

James sat back in his chair and grumbled. Albus climbed contently onto Ted's lap after scaling his leg.

They sat there for what might've felt like hours to a few of those with the attention span of a sieve and what might've felt like moments to someone who had experienced life.

"James, Ted, Al, come and meet Lily," Uncle Harry said as he entered the hallway.

Ted picked Albus up and carried him through to meet his new baby sister. Albus was still an infant himself, chubbier and cuter than James was at that age. James practically held on to Ted's ankle until his father lifted him up and held his hand.

"Can I hold him, daddy?" James asked.

"Her. You've got a little sister, James."

"A girl? Eww! Can't you trade her for a boy, daddy?"

Harry laughed. "It doesn't quite work like that, James. You don't need another brother, you've got Albus."

By this point, Albus had insisted that Ted put him down and he toddled to his mother's hospital bed.

"Can I hold her, daddy?" James asked as his father picked him up and sat him on his mother's bed.

"You're a little young for that, James."

"Here's your little sister, boys," Auntie Ginny said as she shifted the bundle in her arms to show the two boys their new-born sibling.

* * *

Ted went home with Uncle Harry that day with James and Albus and Uncle Harry took him aside to talk to him about the new baby.

"Listen, if you want to hold Lily, that's completely understandable. I know we didn't let you hold her today, but maybe when Ginny and Lily come home in a few days' time. Is that alright with you?"

Ted smiled and nodded. "Are we staying for dinner?"

"I'll check that it's alright with Andromeda and if she says you can, then sure."

Ted beamed. Grandma would never decline Uncle Harry, of all people.

* * *

It was two weeks later before Ted even got the chance to go round Uncle Harry's again. Auntie Ginny had apparently been home for a little over a week after all the fancy doctors had to perform their check-ups on the new baby.

"Here you go, Ted," Harry said as he gently passed the tiny bundle to his godson. A small tuft of ginger hair covered a little of the child's head. Her eyes opened and she giggled as Ted's hair flickered from colour to colour. She was a bright baby, with dark blue eyes and chubby little cheeks.

"She's adorable, Ginny. What's her full name?" Grandma Andromeda asked.

"Lily Luna Potter. We decided on Lily for Harry and Luna for me. We haven't told Luna yet. We must owl her or something. I know she and Rolf are busy with the twins but we shouldn't surprise her about it."

All the while, Ted sat with his technically-not-a-sister-but-I-still-think-you're-a-sister cradled in his arms. He knew very little about what effect this girl was going to have on his life.

* * *

a/n: first ever teddy/lily story, so this is a little out of my comfort zone! no song recs for this chapter, sorry! there might be one or two for the next chapter.


	2. the middle of the beginning

a/n: i am mysteriously making my author's note at the beginning. i did have a song rec for the last part but i lost it. things happen, but whatever. hope you enjoy! i'll update soon! thank you very much for the reviews! (p.s., i'm terribly sorry for the ending. i guess it just sort of happened?) xo

* * *

the middle of the beginning

The Burrow was the easiest place to access any members of the Weasley-Potter family. Especially during the summer, as the place was overrun with cousins and parents and grandparents of all ages.

The glory days of the expansive fields that the Weasley's used as a Quidditch pitch before the second wizarding war had finished it's days as a pitch. It was now the place to be every single summer for anyone in Hogwarts.

An invite to the annual Weasley dinners meant a solid friendship with anyone in the family and an instant boost to their social standing, should they still be in Hogwarts.

The sky was a vivacious blue, the grass was bright green and there wasn't a gnome in sight. The Weasley-Potter clan had gathered for another cousin's birthday, this time it was James. Teddy had begun to detest James and everything he did. Teddy was at the petty age of fifteen where someone's breathing could irritate him. Ignoring all the Hufflepuff traits of friendliness and loyalty, Teddy's annoyance mutated into hatred.

Despite all of that, he was still obligated to purchase a present for his godfather's son. Grandma drove him to Diagon Alley after the Hogwarts Express returned to Platform 9 and ¾ to buy James a present. He had hastily flitted into the nearest Quidditch supply shop and bought James a new pair of gloves with fancy grip. While he was at it, he also bought something for Albus and Lily. He would have to send Lily her present or give it to her on August 31st because her birthday just happened to be right after Teddy returned to Hogwarts.

Teddy and Andromeda flooed to the Burrow where Lily was ecstatic to see Teddy, despite the fact that he had had dinner at the Potter's two nights before. She followed him around for most of the day, only relenting when Albus wanted to talk to her alone.

Teddy found James lounging on the sofa, plotting something or the other with Louis and Fred and Lysander.

"Happy Birthday, James. Here's your present." Teddy handed him the present, wrapped in the ugliest paper that he could find in the attic at Grandma's house. He gave the appearance of trying, by at least adding a gaudy silver bow.

Before he knew it, Teddy was being tugged away from James and Louis and now Victoire, since she had entered the lounge, by the hair on his arm by Lily. She hauled him past several of her relatives. None of which were his, he noted. Grandma must've disappeared to talk to Ginny or Bill or go to the loo. She was doing that an awful lot lately.

"Hey Teddy," Molly said, smirking as Lily hauled him past. She was always a smug little thing, despite being related to one of the most modest people in the Weasley family.

"Teddy, I show you what I find last night," Lily said. She dragged him behind a thick row of lilacs and she gestured for him to sit on the log someone had pulled into place to serve as a bench.

"Tell me what Hogwarts is like, Teddy." Lily said as she sat down next to him.

Sat behind the bushes, it was easy to forget about Teddy's dislike of James and the way his heart flittered in his chest every time he caught sight of Victoire at school. After perhaps an hour of Lily's head lying on his stomach, her crimson hair vivid in comparison to the white of his t-shirt, they were called for James' birthday dinner.

Lily was up in a flash that smelt distinctly of bubble-gum. She flitted off, her attention caught by something else. Teddy smiled, trying to think back to him at that age.

* * *

Grandma Andromeda had gone down with a cold by Albus' birthday. She wasn't well enough to get up out of bed as old age failed her and insisted that Teddy go and celebrate without her. It had taken her threatening to get up to finally convince Teddy to go alone.

He arrived at the Burrow with Albus' present firmly clasped in his fist. He still didn't trust the flooing system, even more so now he was alone.

"Hi Teddy! Where's Andromeda?" Aunt Ginny asked as she brushed soot off of him.

"She's not feeling too great, so she said it would be better for her to rest today. She hopes you can forgive her for it."

"Oh, no dear, it's fine. Is that Albus' present?"

Teddy relented his grip on the gift. "Yeah it is. Any idea where he is?"

"I think he's out in the garden with Lorcan. They're probably going through the dirt for worms again."

"Okay. Thanks, Ginny."

Teddy left the cool air of inside for the sweltering heat of outdoors.

"Teddy!" Lily shrieked as she ran from one side of the garden from the other. Teddy caught her as she jumped at him and with his developing muscles, was just about able to catch her.

"Hey there, little one. How've you been?"

"James told me he's going to teach me Quidditch soon!"

"Soon you're going to be a professional," Teddy joked, tickling her in the stomach.

"Just like Mummy is," She replied, giggling and pushing Teddy's hand away.

Teddy smiled at her. "Do you mind if I put you down for a moment? I've got to give Albus his present."

"Okay." Teddy set her down and stepped outside to find Albus. He found Lorcan; his head was easy to spot, sticking up among the bushes.

"Albus!" Teddy shielded his eyes from the sun as he stepped out of the shade. He noted Molly and Lucy talking to their father. Molly was doing more of the talking, Lucy was reading a book the size of her head.

Albus looked up, alert. "Teddy!"

"Hey, little guy. I got you a present. Hope you like it."

Albus hesitated as he opened the present. The present rolled out of the paper and onto the grass. Albus bent down and picked it up, examining it as he straightened up.

"What is it?" He asked as he spun it around between his fingertips.

"It's a magnifying glass. It makes things look bigger. See?" Teddy stuck his hand under it as an example. "I thought you could use it to examine what you and Lorcan find in the garden."

"Oh! That's cool! Thank you, Teddy!" Albus smiled and walked off, back to the bushes.

For the rest of the evening, Teddy worried about Grandma Andromeda. He'd have to excuse himself early to cook her something for dinner.

* * *

Teddy was awoken with a scream a few mornings on. He had slept through Grandma Andromeda calling his name and she had taken it upon herself to attempt climbing downstairs. He was up and out of bed within seconds and was so quick that he caught the look on his Grandmother's face as her head smashed against the wall in her tumble.

Teddy didn't need to check for a pulse. It took a moment to settle in, but then the pain struck. He screamed. And screamed. Until the point where he thought his lungs would collapse in pain because he wasn't breathing. Until his heart slammed against his ribcage in agony, begging for oxygen.

Until Uncle Harry came running in and came across the scene.

He picked up the shattered body of Teddy's grandmother and moved up the stairs to hold his godson until the screams quieted into tears stifled into sobs and the sobs muffled into tremors.


	3. the end of the beginning

the end of the beginning

Teddy was twenty-one when Lily received her Hogwarts letter. She had begun to make him feel old. When she was eight, she started talking to Molly more and less with Teddy. He missed it. He missed everything. He missed the stability of Hogwarts and what it had offered his relationship with Victoire. For the past few years, everything had been on the rocks.

Teddy was staying over for the night when Lily got the letter. He was woken with the sound of Lily's delighted scream and he leapt up with the imprint of the sofa cushion on his right cheek.

"Teddy I got it! I got it!" Lily yelped as she bounded into the room. She ignored the fact that her mother had put the lounge out of bounds the previous evening and jumped up and down in front of him. Her hair is still in the two plaits she likes to sleep in and the right leg of her pink pyjamas is rolled up and caught around her knee. She's never really liked her birthday, and Teddy has been fully aware of that.

Teddy sat up and pushed a hand through his hair. "I'll take a quick shower and then I'll come down to breakfast, tell Ginny that I'll be about fifteen minutes."

Lily's beam slackened at the corners. "Fine."

Teddy heads up to take the quickest shower he can while Lily sits at the breakfast table with her mother and father. James and Albus left for school the previous day, and Teddy hasn't even breached the topic of him going away. He has considered trying today, but he honestly hasn't wanted to think about leaving.

Teddy sits down at the breakfast table, fourteen minutes and thirty-nine seconds later. Lily frowns down at him but doesn't say any more on the topic.

"When can we go and get all of this?" Lily asks as she flattens the several layers of parchment onto the table. Teddy is somewhat sad that he's missed the opening of the letter, but he witnessed James' and Albus', not to mention he had one of his own, ten years ago.

By now, he's feeling practically medieval in comparison to Lily.

Teddy and Lily sit next to each other and eat breakfast in silence. Teddy has established that she's annoyed that he didn't shower after breakfast. He almost offers to take her to Diagon Alley in recompense, but she's annoyed and he's starting to feel like an outsider again. The feeling that he doesn't belong in any of the Weasley-Potter meet-ups has never really been banished from his mind. In reality, it's just been left to fester for two decades. Also, he realises he's going to be in France then.

"So, Teddy, how're things with Victoire?" Auntie Ginny has never really liked Teddy and Victoire's relationship, but she has tolerated it and that was what really mattered. Lily set down her fork and looked at Teddy.

"Oh, the usual. She's dropping hints about me proposing now."

"Do you see that happening?" Uncle Harry asks as he returns to his seat with a bottle of ketchup and maple syrup. He hands the maple syrup off to Lily, who slathers what's left of the cooked breakfast in it.

"I don't know. With Victoire and the scholarship, everything's a little overwhelming at the moment."

"Scholarship? What's all that about?"

Teddy bites his tongue. "IgotofferedaplaceatBeauxbato nstostudytobecomeateacher," He spits out.

"Do you mind repeating that, Ted?" Auntie Ginny laughs nervously.

"I got offered a place at Beauxbatons to study Potions underneath their Head of Department. I don't know what to do about it."

"Surely their school year starts before Hogwarts'?"

"No, it starts in two weeks time. I don't know what to do, because at the moment, everything with Victoire is crushing down."

"Surely she'll understand?"

Teddy laughs the suggestion off. He's struggling to keep one little white lie from blowing out of proportion.

"Still, I'm sure you could try talking it out with her? It's just a suggestion, Teddy. You don't have to." Uncle Harry sounds pained. Teddy hesitates. He has relied on their hospitality for a good few months, here and there. Not to mention everything they did for him after Grandma died. The thought of that made his eyes blister. He didn't need that pain now. Although, he never needed the pain, it just waltzed up, uninvited and demanded to be felt and Teddy could only oblige.

* * *

At three in the morning, something ludicrously loud woke Lily up. While she was tired, the screaming would be coherent anywhere and she wanted to know what was going on. She bolted up to the window and swept the curtains aside with a quick sweep of her arm. She watched in a combination of shock and awe and fear as the blue haired boy's back muscles rippled and began to grow hair. Her feet froze onto the carpet and she was immobilized by the time her mother came rushing into the room.

"Lily, stay here. Don't go outside, Lily. Dad'll sort it all out." Ginny croons into the ear of her eleven year-old daughter.

But Lily can't move if she tried. She's far too mesmerized by what's playing out in front of her. Her heart pounds harder than it's ever done before and she can almost hear the sound of her blood entering her poor little heart.

"Ted!"

By now, Lily's paying more attention to the blue fur of the half-wolf, half-man creature in the centre of her garden than her father.

Warm, welcoming light tumbles out of the French doors as her father pulls the curtain back and fiddles with the key. By now, the wolf-man hybrid is screaming and wailing and the wind has picked up so the trees are weeping tears of yellow and orange and red with him. Teddy, or whoever it is, pulls up a paw, each one tipped with a thorn and that's when the destruction starts. Ginny gasps when Lily doesn't. She shuts the curtains before her daughter can see the blood dripping down onto the grass.

* * *

Lily doesn't see Teddy for another two months. Beauxbatons offered him the option of coming over after the Christmas holidays and he took it. He walks with a limp on his right leg now, but Lily feigns not knowing why. His skin is still pale and there's scarring on his left shoulder that's been impairing his movement for a while. He doesn't look at Harry or Lily or Ginny any more. The pitiful glances he gets from his godparents makes him want to scream but the bird-like tilt of Lily's oh-so dissembling frown isn't any better.

* * *

a/n: whoops. I left a bit of time between updates, but my laptop broke.  
**mistressamy - this fanfic's not really that long, but i have plans for more lily/teddy fics in the future, so hopefully you'll be seeing more of me around soon! thank you for reviewing!**

preface for the next chapter: this story contains oc's from The Midas Touch because I am far, far too lazy to create more. plus I kinda like the Aurora/Lily brodom i'm working on over there. you don't hAVE to read it because anything you need to know about charlie/aurora and their friends will be provided in the next chapter!

also, while i'm at it: i might try 2nd PoV? i quite like 2nd PoV?

always forgetting me disclaimers. _i don't own lily or teddy or any character you recognise. (unless you recognise an oc of mine. _then_ it's __mine)_


	4. the beginning of the middle

the beginning of the middle

Lily was fifteen when you saw her next. She comes home late. Later than you'd think even James would stay out until. However, James had stayed in all night and he was now exhausting every single one of the family owls by sending them out to the other end of Godric's Hollow with what could only be described as a shit-ton of letters. Albus, the quietest of the three, had his nose tucked into a book as he devoured the pages with all the gusto he could gather as the bibliophile of the family.

Aunt Ginny was incredibly quiet until Lily returned home. She's up and by the door before you think Lily's had a chance to mentally prepare.

(Where were you, Lily Luna Potter!) Auntie Ginny shrieks from the doorway. It hurts from here; you begin to feel a little bit bad for Lily. (You could've died!)

(Calm down, Mum.) You catch Lily hiss back. She strolls into the kitchen on heels that look like they could be used as murder weapons. Normally, you would've made a joke about them but the atmosphere is far too tense for that now. This is between Auntie Ginny and Lily.

So far, Lily hasn't taken a glimpse at you. She hasn't even bothered to give you the slightest bit of attention and that bothers you.

"Ginny dear, it's alright. Lily's back now and she's alive, that's all that matters." Uncle Harry tries. You know he's not going to win this battle, but at least he's preventing Lily from getting Aunt Ginny's full wrath.

"All that matters? Are you ignorant to the fact that your daughter has been off gallivanting around the country with Merlin-knows-who, doing Merlin-knows-what?"

"Merlin does know who, actually." Lily says. You catch the tail of her words and smile a little.

"Who were you out with?" Auntie Ginny demands.

"Do you really want to know?"

"Yes. Names. Now."

"Aurora and Molly found me in London. I had dinner with them there and we went out."

"You went out?! Lily Luna Potter, you are fifteen years of age! Imagine what could've happened to you!"

"Stop overreacting!" Lily slaps her hand against the marble worktop and it makes you jump up. You look down at your glass and run your finger along the rim. You catch a glance at her nails, perfectly coated in a layer of burgundy nail varnish.

"Aurora made sure I was alright for the evening. She didn't even let me have anything to drink, for crying out loud! She's the older sister I never got because I'm lumped with these two useless fuckers!" Lily gestures to Albus and James. She starts talking again before Auntie Ginny gets to bring up how they're her brothers and they 'protect' her. "For crying out loud, Charlie's more use than both of them combined!"

James looks up when Charlie's name is mentioned. "You went out with _Charlie?_"

Lily looks at him like it's the most obvious thing in the world. "Aurora and Charlie are dating again. Moron."

Before James can slide another word in, Uncle Harry snaps, "Lily, go to your room."

Lily looks down at her father and for a moment it looks like she might hit someone. Instead, she laughs.

"You really think that sending me to my room is a punishment, Dad? In this shithole, it's a blessing. I might take Molly up on her offer to go and live with her soon." She turns and storms out. You take it upon yourself to sit Uncle Harry down before you go and talk to her.

"I'll go up and see if I can get anything out of her in the way of an apology, Harry."

You limp up the stairs and wonder what went wrong when. You'd have thought your leg would've healed properly by now. Not that pathetic excuse for a healing it had before. Properly, so your knee could move freely. However, it hasn't so you're stuck limping your way to her room.

You knock and let her open the door. She's still wearing that stupidly stunning dress that just aggravates you for no real reason.

"Yes?" A perfectly-plucked ginger eyebrow rises. "Can I help you?"

"Can I come in?"

Lily considers it but steps back and lets Teddy in. Her room is still the same from when she was younger. Flower decals stuck at jaunty angles on the hot pink walls. It looks exactly the same. The inhabitant, however, is not.

"Can I help you, then?"

"What happened, Lily?"

She looks at you like you're a piece of dog shit on the sole of her shoe. "I grew up, Teddy." She says after a while. "And I met people."

You hesitate. She can sense it, somehow.

"I may as well fill you in on the past four years, if you're interested?" She glances down at you. She doesn't even bother getting your answer and starts to ramble. "For a start, I was sorted into Slytherin. I met Aurora and Charlie who were fourth years at the time and I made friends with them through Molly. I did Quidditch for a couple of years. Dropped it at the end of last year. Passed my exams at the end of each year. I took Divination and Arithmancy for my OWLs. Charlie's tutoring me through it for free, although I'm certain that's only because Aurora threatens to dump him if he doesn't. She does my Divination teaching. I don't like ninety per cent of my cousins. The ten per-cent's Molly and Dom. Dom taught me all kinds of things. Aurora taught me the rest."

You swallow; your throat feeling pin-hole small. Lily notices, slides a drawer out and passes you a small bottle of vodka without a word. You only take a small sip because you've always been teased for being a lightweight and you doubt Lily will be any better. You pass it back and she takes a swig.

You're watching the way her body moves when she breathes before you can consider not watching. You finally catch wind of 'eau de cigarettes' and she moves to put the vodka bottle back into hiding. Your eyes barely move away from the curve of her back, visible through the layer of sheer material that makes up the back of her dress. The thin layer of fabric is all that's really keeping you from touching her. The front of her dress isn't any better. You turn your attention to your knees and you have to reprimand yourself to stop yourself from looking at _her_ like _that._

You contemplate staying to try and solve this but you want to leave and come back at a time where you're not completely confused with alcohol and drunk on how goddamn attractive a fifteen year old looks in one dress.

"Lily, I should, I should go." You throw the meagre excuse for leaving into the air, in fact, you're not even sure it is an excuse, but you don't look back because you don't want to have to confront that red smirk now.

* * *

a/n: im not even sorry. c5 & 6 will be in 2nd PoV. hope you enJOYED IT. yes? you did? well there's only five more chapters to go! that could be five days or even five weeks (_it won't be five weeks, but you get the point_). i rustled this up last night and now c5 is a bit slow to get rolling but i'm getting there. maybe it'll be up tomorrow? we'll see! xo


	5. the middle of the middle

the middle of the middle

It's winter before you can go back to Godric's Hollow and you already know when everyone's going to be out of the house. Everyone except Lily. You're hoping it's easier to talk to her when she's on her own. You can see the movement of her crimson hair through the frost-slathered glass and you steel yourself for when you've got to knock on that maroon door and hold your nerve against those vivacious blue eyes.

You're not even sure how she got blue eyes, with one parent with brown eyes and the other with green but she has and there's nothing you can do. She's hardly a metamorphagus like you.

The snow screams under your feet as they make the move to the door before you want to and you're knocking before it's too late. Lily opens the door a few moments later with a quizzical raise of an eyebrow but she lets you in.

"I'm the only one in; I don't have a clue what you could want," She says as she stomps up the stairs. The place smells of freshly laid paint and you're wondering why there are empty plastic bags littering the area beside the door.

You take the option of making yourself a cup of tea before you go in and try to coax Lily's reasoning for being a real pain in the ass as of late out of her. Peppermint tea, or at least anything peppermint flavoured, has always been your weakness. Victoire wasn't the largest fan, but you two weren't together anymore and you hadn't been for years. She was dating some well-connected Healer while you pined after a girl a decade younger than you.

You pull the teabag out of your tea and consider how you're going to talk to Lily. You carry your mug with one hand in the tiny handle and one supporting the bottom to make sure you don't spill any of it as you limp up the hardwood stairs. You never noticed how glossy the stairs here are. They're impossibly sleek and it's more than obvious that the maple syrup hue isn't natural. You think back to ten years ago and before you know it, your mug of tea has fallen and it doesn't matter that the peppermint has scalded your toes, it matters that someone just takes you away and makes all the pain stop.

Yet no-one does. You're through with sobbing and you've almost fallen down yourself but then Lily appears from the landing and she's oh-so-confused and oh-so-scared and it makes you scream again. She's not supposed to be performing magic tricks just yet because she's just sixteen but she sorts out the tea and hauls your sorry ass to the top of the stairs.

You'd never noticed how ridiculously strong she is. Either that or you've accidentally turned yourself into a toddler again. The last time you did that was embarrassing.

"Merlin, you're a mess." Lily kneels down next to you and wipes the tears away with her hand. She dries it up against her bare thigh and decides to yank you to your feet once you've stopped sobbing. "And I thought I was bad. Go and sit down and I'll bring you another cup of tea."

You let her lead you into her room. The place has been redecorated and stinks of paint, but for some reason the smell calms you. One wall is a light grey, two are forest green and one is covered in a collage of moving images. She sits you on her mattress and disappears for five minutes, bringing you a scorching hot mug when she does return.

You're surprised when she doesn't come and sit next to you; instead she moves over to the curtains and replaces the gaudy bubble-gum pink ones with layers of sheer material. You watch as she fixes a blind to the top of her window frame. You sit there for maybe half an hour, hoping she'll talk to you but she doesn't. She badgers on in silence and even when Aurora and Charlie appear to help her sort out her bed, she simply moves you to sit in another part of the room.

"How're things?" She asks them politely.

Aurora looks over at Charlie. You recognise that look. You don't know how or why, you just _do._

"Alright. Molly's had some trouble but she's out of it now. How are you feeling about that offer?" Aurora says as Charlie fixes the bedframe together.

"I kind of want to, but I don't want to now. I quite like what's going on here."

Aurora laughs a little. You feel confused as nothing is directly mentioned. "It's alright, we can replicate everything with Mr Big Brains over here," Aurora says as she gives Charlie a playful prod with her sock-clad toes.

* * *

When the bed's set up and the mattress is in place, you help Lily by putting pillows into pillowcases and help her shake out the duvet. She shoots you a sideways glance filled to the brim with understanding and for a moment your heart leaps into your throat. She's never presented her heart on her sleeve and for a moment you really feel like she understands. Then the curtains roll down and she's back to normal.

"I don't know what you were trying to achieve, Ted, but it's probably best that you go before everyone gets home," Lily says after a while.

You nod and put your cold, half-drunk mug of tea on her empty bookshelf and offer her a hug. She smiles at you for a fleeting second but doesn't accept your offer.

"I'll see you, Lils." You say as you head out.

* * *

a/n: don't own hp, the usual. i hope you all enjoyed it! also: i have an 8tracks account where thou may listen to the mix i failed at creating to go along with this fic. the link's on my profile! xoxo


	6. the end of the middle

the end of the middle

She's a year older by the time she's moving out. The breezeless summer heat glues your cotton shirt to your back and you're wondering how thick it really is. You don't really want to wear shorts. You haven't worn shorts since you were about twenty. That was before the _incident. _You hadn't worn a single vest top since then either.

"It's lovely to see you, Teddy," Harry says, as though he wasn't expecting you. That's the first lie: Ginny had owled you the other day and asked you very nicely if you could come over and chat to Lily and with all your useless Ministry paperwork you'd been buried under you hadn't had the time. You wave hello to Dominique who's arguing with her latest acquisition of a boyfriend and walk - or rather, limp - into the kitchen and sit down next to Albus, who's just left Hogwarts and is staring his NEWT results down.

"What'd you get?" You ask playfully, hoping he's in a good mood. Nothing in the Potter household has gone well lately, or at least, that was what Harry told you in the office two nights ago.

Albus stares you out until you move away and into the hallway. There's a crack from upstairs and you instinctively move up to check it out.

"Aurora?"

She turns to look at you and for a moment you think you've fallen into a pit of nightmares. This isn't Aurora. But it is. She's much taller in those heels and she looks much better out of the leggings and oversized sweaters she used to wear. Her clothes look high end and expensive and you wonder how she got her hands on those with her shitty wage from her job as a waitress.

"Fuck me, I need to work on my accuracy. Are you ready to go, Lily?" She calls out to Lily's room.

"Yeah, sure. One sec." Lily replies from behind her bedroom door. She opens it and Aurora steps inside. The place is barren, except for her bedframe, which sits like a skeleton in the centre of her room.

"What's going on?" You ask as Lily takes Aurora's hand.

"Sorry, Teddy. Lily doesn't like it here."

There's a crack and everything moves as though it's coated in layers and layers of syrup. You leap forward and dive to catch any part of Aurora's or Lily's body to apparate with them. You get a good grip on Aurora's calf and the three of you are spinning through the air before she can kick you off. She's got more sense than to jam her pointy heel into your head mid-apparation, especially if she has accuracy problems.

The landing knocks the wind out of you as you fall flat on your stomach on the hardwood floorboards.

"Lily," You wheeze out, "What's going on?"

"I'm leaving home."

Your heart plummets.

"Or rather, I left," She says after a while, once you've stopped choking on your own inability to respire.

"You can't just leave, Lily! What are your parents going to think? How are you going to survive out here?"

"Aurora's got everything covered, Ted. There's nothing to worry about."

"How has she got everything covered? She's barely a legal Muggle adult!"

If looks could kill, you would be twelve feet under by this point.

"Fine. Fine. I get it. But what am I supposed to tell your parents? They were worried sick about you before you decided you were going to leave home, and now what? You've gone to live with," you turn to Aurora, "No offense, Aurora, but Lily, you've gone to live with the boy that broke both of your brothers and countless cousins."

"I share this place with Charlie and Molly, Teddy. She'll be fine."

"Because Charlie and Molly are any better! Molly's known in our family for her skills of being a top-class entrepreneur, but do they really have any idea how she gained those skills? As for Charlie, he's done everything illegal under the sun!"

"Teddy, I'm going to give you three options," Aurora's voice is low and you're suddenly scared. "Option one, you walk out of here and leave us alone. Two: I push you out of this window and we never speak of you again. Three: you can apparate back home and say that there was nothing you could do and you ended up in York after accidentally letting go."

The way Lily grabs Aurora's hand doesn't go amiss to you when Aurora threatens to throw you out of the window. You're suddenly conscious of the hum of traffic, maybe fifty storeys below. If you fell, your brains would probably _reach_ York themselves.

"I'll apparate back. Tell them I couldn't do anything after I ended up in Wiltshire. I don't know where you two are. Understand?"

Aurora's tone is cold but also approving when she confirms your story. "You don't know where we are. At all. You could try suggesting that you think we've gone to Italy."

* * *

A/N: I'm sorry I didn't update sooner! I guess I kind of had a block with this one, but hopefully it'll be finished soon so I can work on oneshots and things. (Once my multi-chaptered stories are done, of course.) Also, I'm sorry this is so short. It was all I could push out. (Also, we're 2/3 of the way through! Cake for all when I finish!)  
Disclaimer: I don't own the Harry Potter universe.


	7. the beginning of the end

the beginning of the end

Another three years had passed before Teddy saw her again. She had graduated Hogwarts, he knew that much. He had taken the day off of work at the Auror's office and he had gone out into Diagon Alley for a little relaxation and down time before he returned to shuffling papers across the Ministry.

The place was barren of laughter and happiness and everything that made Teddy smile. The pavements, lined with shops seemed darker without kids running through them. He missed the comfort of seeing excited Hogwarts students screaming as they dashed across the streets with their latest purchases.

He saw a familiar flick of ginger in the corner of his vision and turned instinctively.

"Teddy?" Lily asked hesitantly.

"Lily? Wow, you look-" He struggled to find the most appropriate word. "Amazing. How are you?"

"I'm alright. Busy, you know how things are these days." She flicked her glossy hair over her shoulder. "Anyway – must dash. I've got to meet Paulo in half an hour."

"Wait, do you want to catch up? Maybe have a coffee?"

Lily laughed. She hadn't changed much about how she laughed, that was for sure. She still scrunched up her nose and bunched up her freckles as she giggled. "Oh, honey," she said disapprovingly, "I have to get to this meeting, but I'll be back in Diagon Alley for eleven, we could meet then?"

"Sounds great. I'll meet you at Leaky."

Lily smiled and turned away.

* * *

"So, how have you been?" Teddy asked as Lily sipped on her iced coffee drink.

"Good. How's your work?"

"Boring," Teddy muttered distractedly, "Do you have a job? Where are you staying?"

"Aurora's helped me get jobs here and there. I still live with her and Charlie in that apartment. If you see Mum and Dad any time soon – tell them I'm sorry about leaving, but I won't be coming back."

Teddy struggled to find the right word again. There was some sort of aura around Lily that made the eloquent gentleman – if he could even be considered one after everything he did every Friday night – forget how to speak.

"What's Aurora doing these days?" He said after stirring his fourth sugar into his coffee.

Lily twisted her mouth up, "Oh, you know. Just working."

"Lily, tell me."

"Aurora models. Like, muggle modelling. She does well. It doesn't take much for us to live off. She lies to Charlie about where it comes from because she's worried he'll make her stop."

"Charlie sounds like he hasn't improved since he left Hogwarts."

"He's alright. I think something bad's happening between Aurora and Charlie lately. You remember how they argued at school?"

_And how she came back to my room and told me all about it and I slept with her, yeah. Of course I do._ Teddy thought. "Yeah, I heard a bit about it. It was everything anybody talked about."

"It's worse. She won't even look at him. He's all over the place, trying to get her to forgive him, but I don't know what for. He hasn't asked me to help get Aurora on his side yet. He probably will soon."

"When you said that Aurora helped you find jobs – what did you mean?"

"She gave me a loop on the ladder to start off with. She's helped me when we've been backstage and everything. She's better than James or Albus ever was at protecting me."

Teddy swallowed, realising that Lily didn't view him in the same category as James and Albus. She didn't see him as a brother. He wasn't sure whether to leap into the air in elation, or to cry.

She sipped from her drink again, and Teddy began to notice lots of little things about her. Her lips were a raspberry red, her hair had never naturally been that colour and her skin seemed so pale in comparison. She was practically alabaster in the gentle lighting of the Muggle chain store.

She checked the time on an expensive looking watch.

"I've got to dash, see you soon, yeah?"

"Nice watch. Where'd you get it?" Teddy said as Lily gathered her things.

"Present from Aurora. She got it from one of her shows as a gift by the designer and she didn't want Charlie seeing it, so she gave it to me."

"That's nice. Tell her I hope she's alright. Give her my best."

That seemed fake to Teddy. _Give her my best_. He resented the words as soon as he'd said them. As if he could fix what had happened between the two of them with a meagre handful of pathetic words.

* * *

**A/N:** Sorry for the super long break. I'll be finished soon – I promise! Next chapter should be up in a week, probably less. I think from now on, Thursday shall be Teddy/Lily day for me. I'll try and post something at least every Thursday or every other Thursday! Probably going to be freeverse poetry or something, but we'll see!

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Harry Potter.


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